Shadows
by Jessiy Landroz
Summary: Written for a challenege, where there is something odd in the lair. [Oneshot]


It all started like a normal day as I woke up too early, maybe around three in the morning, earlier than I usually arise.

Nevertheless, since it was really early and I couldn't sleep, I decided to freshen up anyway.

I went to the kitchen for breakfast, then after that I went to the dojo for a warm up, and then vegetated on the couch to watch some TV.

I didn't bother turning on the lights because I liked it dark, it gave my senses the solitude and solace I would often miss, whenever my brothers are around and would bring forth their daily morning ruckus. Also, it made the really cool looking, big flat screen more cinema-like. I watched the late night to early morning reruns, relaxed on the cushioned couch, and idly watched the glittering specks dance with the rainbow colored shapes.

Normally, I would have been zombified in front of the beautifully alluring silver screen, but today was a little different.

You see, while I was watching a new episode of Teen Titans out of curiosity, I could have sworn I saw something flicker at the corner of the screen. When I saw nothing there, I assumed it was probably some glitch in the episode and the scene play did a trick, so I ignored that thought and focused on the characters again, mildly interested in the plot.

Of course, that was until I started having this funny tingly feeling on my shin. I thought it was just my skin prickling for some reason, an itch I needed to scratch, so lazily I glanced down and reached for the tingly spot. I didn't notice anything at first, but when I felt my fingers brush against something warm and furry, I quickly jumped in my seat and yanked back my hand, wide eyed and glanced at my leg.

When I saw a black little creature with ruby red eyes staring back at me, latched onto my leg, I think my heart skipped a beat.

My body suddenly froze like a block of ice, my eyes gawked wider as the small, prickly-furred bright eyed creature ever so painfully slow crawled its way up my leg. Every inch in my body shuddered and prickled like a tremor, the feel of its warm little body rubbing against my cooler skin was abnormally freaky, chilling to the bone.

The second it reached my kneepad, I swallowed a scream of panic as the creature stalked up my shin. I just couldn't hold it any longer and bolted off the couch, but the cushioned seat absorbed my weight, my leg sank between the cushions and I clumsily toppled back over the backrest, pulling the whole couch along, and fell backwards and slammed on the floor hard, my shell hit the concrete floor with an echoing thud.

Jarred from the impact, I was pulled back into focus when I felt the little critter fly off my leg from the clumsy kicking motion, to unfortunately plop right on my face! Small nails scratched my skin and tried to latch onto my mask, the thing tried to strike a hold, and the thought alone frightened me even more. So with a strangled cry of alarm, I flailed and flipped of the floor on my hands and knees, and the creature didn't manage to latch onto my face, instead, it fell to the floor with a small plop and twitched on its back.

I leaped back and took a deep breather while I watched it helplessly twitch, slowly it got back on its feet, and its bright ruby eyes gazed at me like neon lights through pitch blackness. I was tempted to stomp on the thing and kill it, or maybe pull my sword and hack it in half, especially with the way it screeched and squeaked, it crawled its way towards me.

I thought of getting rid of it first, and then stalk my brothers and strangle the one who brought this thing into the lair, because it was clear it couldn't have come here on its own, but that's when another screech came from behind me.

I turned around in alarm to see what made that ear piercing sound, only to have something slam against my face again. And with another panicked cry; or at least, I thought the cry was mine, I staggered back as tiny claws barely pricked my skin. I clutched the creature and flung it across the room without a second thought, gasping deep as if I was suffocating.

So imagine my surprise when there was another figure, about the size of my brothers, and I blinked when it leapt across the room to catch the thrown creature, before rolling over the floor and protectively hugging the thing close to his plastron.

Gathering my bearings, I hurried towards the wall to switch the lights on, wanting to identify which brother it was, so I'll know if I'd strangle or kick his shell for scaring the daylights out of me.

After the lights flickered to life, I saw one of my brothers with his hands cupped together, a concerned frown knit between his brows, as he apparently was oblivious to the lights coming to life and beaming over his head.

He breathed heavily and touched the something in his hand, the- whatever it was I threw, before he shot me a peeved look and pushed to his feet, marched past me and then scooped the other little midget from the floor, the one that was closer to the flipped couch without a second thought, grumbling something about a stupid idiot who forgot to lock a cage, before stomping towards his room.

Unsettled and baffled beyond coherent words, I needed to calm myself for a moment so I flipped the couch back in place, before I stalked after him as livid heat simmered through my veins.

Once I was in his room, I noted the lights were off and there were only a few candles lit at the far side of the room. His Chinese lantern kept the room fairly dark, but enough to see through. I watched him set one of the two creatures, which appeared to be a pair of bats, into a small shoebox stuffed with straw and shredded patches of cloth. The other bat was then carefully cradled towards the bars that hung over his sleeping corner.

It took me a moment to calm my breath and glanced from the bats to my brother.

Completely ignoring my presence he picked up a knife, and then reached for an apple that was set on the far desk; he cut a small slice and placed it on a plate that was set inside the shoebox. Curious I ventured into his room uninvited and glanced at the little brownish creature. It made strange noises as it reached for the slice and began to munch on the fruit with clear vigor.

"Poor gal, you must've been hungry." I heard him mutter, a light mellow smile shone on his face, before he flashed the sliced apple to the hanging bat. "Ya hungry?" he gestured to it, then shifted the apple closer.

To my surprise, the dangling bat latched onto the apple and started eating the cut out side, allowing juice to dribble lightly down the apple's smooth ruby surface, and while it was upside down nonetheless. Since he couldn't let go of the fruit with the bat latching onto it like so, he moved it a little sideways, and the bat released the bar to latch onto the fruit. My brother grinned and let a little chuckle rumble through his throat, before he set the apple on a dangling wire of sorts, like those we used in Christmas to hang the mistletoes.

"Where did you get those?" I asked, frowning with confusion and mile irritation.

"The apples are in the fridge, get yer own." He muttered mellowness still intact, and then went about fixing his bed and folding the blanket. Clearly he just woke up as well, and had no intention to try and go to sleep.

I rolled my eyes and then crossed my arms over my plastron, "I was talking about the bats," I grumped.

"They aint mine," He muttered back, then shot me a look from over his shoulder, "And don't worry, I aint keepin' them. They're better out in the wild, I only took them in cause it was raining so badly." He gestured to the one in the shoebox. "She doesn't like it when it's cold,"

"Where did they come from?" I asked, still confused, and he flashed me a cheeky grin, so I interrupted before he could even start, "And no, I don't need you explaining the birds and bees, you know that wasn't the question." I growled, smothering back a smile.

He chuckled, clearly in a pleasant mood, "Yeah, well; remember our trip to Northampton two weeks ago?" he began, and I nodded in remembrance, "Well after we came back to the city, Casey told me he found their cage at the back of his van. He doesn't know how they got there, but they're only babies and we couldn't release them in the wild," he paused to glance at the feasting bat, the one that latched onto the apple.

"April did a little search. Apparently these two are Egyptian fruit bats." He paused for a moment to press his thumb on the slice he had placed on the plate, causing the juice to squirt out and coat the plate. Amusingly the little female bat in the box abandoned the fruit slice, and then hurried to the juice and licked it hungrily. "Before you ask they're not exactly endangered, they're on the least concerned category, actually; but it would be better if we handed them to someone who could take care of them better."

I nodded once, not really getting the full picture, "So they're your pets now?" I inquired.

He glanced at me idly, and then shrugged, "I'm only looking after them till someone from the animal refuge arrives. April said they should be here any day now." He murmured. He then did the oddest thing and ran a finger down the female's back, but she didn't seem to mind, she only closed her eyes for a moment and continued to feast on the juice, but less gluttonously.

I blinked at him, furrowed in concern and then looked at the smaller, lighter brown colored female in the shoebox. With a small smirk, I noted she looked a little like master Splinter, except her ears were more perked and her eyes were larger, she looked cuter.

That's when another squeak came and I heard my brother yelp, so I turned my attention to him and bit back a laugh, especially when I saw the male bat ditched the apple and latched onto my brother's snout. His little head with is ears perked forwards were directed towards my brother, who comically gazed cross-eyed at the little being staring back at him. The little bat's muzzle glistered with the apple juice, and it's small tongue jut out to lick at it, before is gave my brother another cute squeak.

"For the last time, I aint yer mama." he muttered embarrassedly, then gently plucked him off and set him into the box next to his mate, or what I assumed was his mate. "Now stay put, got it?" he admonished, almost as if he expected them to understand what he was saying.

That's when something hit me, "Wait, are you saying you've taken care of them for the past two weeks?"

He glanced at me, a little startled with my sudden statement, and then his eyes shifted nervously across the room, then towards the doorway, before he shrugged a shoulder, "Does it matter? No one is keeping count." He mumbled.

I shook my head and bit back a frustrated sigh, and then watched my brother as he took the apple off the hook, set it down and in his palm and then squeezed it as if it were a lime, allowing more juice to pitter-patter into the plate, before setting the fruit nearby. I continued to watch the two bats approach the plate and began to lick and bite at the fruit, while my brother pulled a towel to wipe the juice off his hands, a content smile quirked the corner of his mouth.

"Do they have names?" I asked out of curiously.

"Jack and Jill, for the lack of anything better." He shrugged, and then turned to look at me with a mild frown, "And don't tell anyone about this. I'll probably be turning them in to April tonight, regardless if the refuge people arrived or not, alright?" he gave a wry smile.

I chuckled, willing to help him keep this a secret, "Sure, no problem."

Soon after that, he turned the candle lights off and we exit the room, allowing the two nocturnal creatures to rest since it was going to be morning soon.

The reminder of the day went without difficulties, and later at night April arrived to take them off his hands, careful not to be spied by the others since he didn't want them to know. Two days later she called and told him the people from the animal shelter arrived and took the pair, and although he looked sad to see them go, I guess he didn't really mind as long as they were somewhere they belonged.

But to tell you the truth, it was a strange feeling, but I guess that little event added a little more meaning to his need for secrecy.

After all, only god knows how much blackmail we can get if we were to exploit all of his mushy moments, right?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

-END-


End file.
